


Litany

by PerseusHuntress



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 14:34:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16834528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerseusHuntress/pseuds/PerseusHuntress





	Litany

“Orphelia?” Asra’s gentle voice cut through the ringing in her ears. “Do you think you can look at me?”

She wanted to, she tried lifting her face to his, but it felt like she swam through treacle, her limbs felt heavy and lifeless.

“It’s okay you don’t have to, hold on” he gracefully folded himself in front of her, delicately lifting her face to his. “Can you hear me?”

Words wouldn’t come, all she could manage was a quiet exhale.

“I will take that as a yes” he smiled, but now she could see the barely disguised apprehension that his eyes betrayed as they darted across her face. 

The halo of his hair obscured her vision, blurring at the edges, but her mind ticked over and registered Julian leaning heavily against the parapet watching them warily, his knuckles white against the cold marble.

“I died…” she murmured to no one in particular as if giving the words shape, releasing them into the atmosphere would make them somehow less true.

“I know” Asra closed his eyes and run a thumb across her jaw, the touch extended beyond a simple gesture, it pulled on their magic coalescing it into something warm, familiar and calming. “I’m sorry”

Whatever was holding her together at that moment snapped undone and she exhaled sharply, gulping for more air.

If her state permitted it she would have seen Julian almost lunge in her direction, trying to catch the fall that never came.

Instead, she felt arms envelop her as Asra pulled her onto his lap burying her in his embrace.

“Breathe” he whispered into her hair “Breathe my love”

She could feel him wrapping the magic protectively over them both, his muscles subtly straining as he concentrated and intensified it.

The familiar tug of their magic brought back some feeling into her, a thread she clung to, that she pulled.

“You… you left me”

“I know”

“You left me” she repeated her voice rising, tears flowing freely down her face “I needed you and you left me”

Asra pulled her tighter to him “I’m sorry”

“How could you….” her whispered words held no accusation, no reprimand.

“I’m sorry” he repeated those words as a litany. She could feel him shaking, his chest heaving as he tried to control the crashing guild, pain, and regret that washed over him.

The magic that held them together sputtered, wavered and dulled, he was losing control. His pain amplified by the lack of the protection that the bond offered

Orphelia breathed in deeply, steadying herself and let her own magic flow, reinforcing the walls around them, propping up his creation. Their threads met and flared, blazing warmer than before. Her own magic sparkled through her releasing some of the tension, anchoring her in reality, the familiarity of their magics melding cleared some of the fog that obscured rational thought. 

Asra twitched in surprise “What are you doing?”

“Helping, for better or worse, you’re a part of me and I won’t let you get hurt”

“I don’t deserve it…”

“No, you don’t get to decide that” she rested her head on his chest controlling her breathing, synchronizing it with his, the way she used to.

“You don’t remember what happened do you?”

“No, do you?”

“Some of it, but there are holes, holes I cannot seem to fill in” Asra sighed against her.

“Figures,” she managed a weak smile, she was so tired “Nothing is ever easy with you is it, oh great mysterious magician”

“What would be the fun in that?” he returned the smile. “But I think I may need to return you to your esteemed doctor before he wears a furrow in Nadi’s pristine floor”

Orphelia peered over his shoulder at Julian who was obscured by the cloud of Asra’s hair. He was pacing the corridor like a caged tiger.

Julian would stop intermittently throwing hesitant glances at the two magicians huddled on the floor, almost taking a stride toward them before stopping halfway there, furrowing his brow, shaking his head and returning to his pacing by the balustrade. She couldn’t help but smile in earnest this time. 

Asra studies her features for a moment “You love him, don’t you?”

“Yes,” she didn’t take her eyes of Julian, muffling a laugh as he attempted to cough inconspicuously to get their attention.

“Small mercies, I don’t think we would be able to deal with another one of his dark moods. Up you get” he gently shifted her in his lap, helping her to stand.

As if on cue Julian materialised beside them out of thin air.

“Orphelia…” he reached for her.

She flew into his open arms.

“Thank you” she murmured to his shirt unwilling to look him in the eye.

“Whatever for my dear?” he pulled her closer to him, bending down and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. 

“Sending Asra to me. How did you know?”

“I knew, for I am the devious Doctor Devorak, I see all, I diagnose all!” he intoned mournfully, before the façade collapsed, shattered by bright peels of his laughter.

“Well,” she stood on up on her tiptoes and kissing him quickly on the lips “Thank you all the same.”

“I… Ahem… you’re welcome” a crimson stain spread across his cheeks. “The bond you two have, well, it’s unique.”

“It’s different” Orpehlia chided him quietly “different is not the same as unique.”

Julian brightened at that “Are you okay now my darling?”

“I will be” she disentangled herself from him gently.

“Asra…” she turned to face the him and froze.

The expression on his face was one she has never seen in all the years prior. He smiled, just smiled. It was not the smile she knew so well, the one that never truly reached his eyes, this one radiated so much warmth, it was so earnest that it stunned Orphelia.

“Are you two done? We do have a certain Count to deal with after all” Asra cocked a playful eyebrow at them.

“At your order, oh captain my captain!” Julian bowed theatrically.

“You always have to ruin it don’t you Ilya” Asra smirked.

“Hey! I do no such thing! I am excellent at not ruining things!”

“Aha, remember that time at Count Belmonts party?”

“That was one-time Asra. One damn time!”

Orphelia watched them walk away from her bickering incessantly, she blinked in disbelief and snickered to herself.

“My dear, are you coming? Or would you like me to carry you? Are you still feeling weak?” Julian turned back to her face full of genuine concern. 

“Don’t you dare Devorak!” she trilled and ran after them.


End file.
